


Let's Not

by Hedgehog-o-Brien (Roshwen)



Category: Fifty Shades of Grey - E. L. James
Genre: F/F, Fix-It, Fix-It of Sorts, I read this shit and violently disagreed with it, If you're a stan you're probably not going to want to read this, This is just to get it out of my head
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-31
Updated: 2019-12-31
Packaged: 2021-02-27 06:47:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,390
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22052776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Roshwen/pseuds/Hedgehog-o-Brien
Summary: So, this is what happens when I hate-read a book: I hate-write a fix-it fic about it. Enjoy. Or not.
Relationships: Katherine Kavanagh/Anastasia Steele
Comments: 6
Kudos: 45





	Let's Not

'Kate, are you sure you should be going outside? You look...'

The phrase 'like death warmed over' enters my mind, but does not come out. '...awful,' I finish lamely. Which is still a very positive way of describing my roommate, Katherine Kavanagh, who is glaring at me from the doorway through red-rimmed eyes. ''m _fne.'_

'You know, I don't think there were any vowels in that,' I say, rolling my eyes. 'Is that how you're going to do the interview with the big hot shot billionaire? Make nose noises at him until he gets fed up with you and kicks you out?'

Kate glares again, but the effect is a little spoiled by the way she tries to clear her nose. It's an awful honking sound, followed by a hacking cough which makes me wince even more. 'Kate,' I plead, 'go back to bed. Call Grey, or wait, let _me_ call Grey and I'll explain. He'll understand. And even if he doesn't, he probably won't want to get infected with whatever plague you've got going on.'

Unfortunately, it takes a much stronger person than me to talk something out of Kate's head. 'I _can't,_ Ana,' she says, her voice still nasal but at least I can understand what she's saying. 'It took me _months_ to schedule this interview. If I don't go, then that's it. I won't get another shot before graduation and there's no one else...'

It also takes a much stronger person than me to refuse Kate anything she wants, especially when she's looking sick and miserable. 'Damn it, Kate,' I sigh, casting a baleful glance at my study notes. I have one final exam that I still have to study for, my essay on Charlotte Lucas, her marriage to Mr. Collins and the parallels to modern times is due in two days and oh yeah, I have a shift at the hardware store this afternoon, the earnings of which are all to go into my 'moving house' fund. Which is not doing all that bad, thank God, but still. Every penny would _help._

Kate still hasn't budged from the doorway. Her eyes are huge, blue and shining, her face is blotch and red from coughing and her hair is a veritable bird's nest. And I still think she looks absolutely gorgeous. Then her lower lip starts wobbling dangerously, her face scrunches a little and all thought of final exams and money making fly out the window. 'Alright. Here's what we'll do.'

I stand up. I want to make my way over to her and hug her, but I also do not want to die a horrible, mucus-filled death, so I stand in front of the table where I've been studying, arms crossed and fixing Kate with my best mom stare. It's not very effective, I know, but it will have to do. 'You are going to take a shower. A hot one, with as much steam as you need. Then, you are going to stuff yourself full of Advil, get dressed, get everything you need to do that damned interview and then _I_ will drive you to Seattle and back so you don't end up in a coughing fit and wrap yourself around a tree in the process. OK?'

Kate's eyes widen and her mouth drops open. I am only just in time to dive behind a chair before she spreads her arms and advances towards me. 'No! Get back!' I shriek, half laughing, half serious. 'Away from me, you're more slime than human!'

Kate backs off, still grinning wide. ' _Thank you,'_ she breathes, mouth wide open because of her clogged nose. 'Ana, really. _Thank you._ I really really really owe you for this, you're the _best!'_

'Yeah yeah,' I mutter, shaking my head. 'Alright. Get thee to a showery.'

'That's terrible,' Kate says, but she's beaming and I know I can get away with a lot more terrible puns for the rest of this week, perhaps even the entire month. And honestly, even the two hour drive to Seattle is a small price to pay for that.

\---

And that is how I end up sitting in a very comfortable chair in a very fancy office. The Grey Enterprise Holdings building has a million floors and of course the CEO's office is at the very top. So the view is absolutely breathtaking, especially because Mr. Grey has not exactly been skimping on the floor-to-ceiling windows. It feels a little like I'm in a space ship and also a little like I could be attacked by a flock of birds breaking through the clouds at any moment.

Kate is sitting next to me, looking remarkably presentable; her honey blonde hair is back in a no-nonsense ponytail, she is wearing make up that is doing an admirable job of hiding the circles under her eyes and she is wearing her plum Fortune 500 dress, so called because it makes her look like the baddest business bitch in town.

She fits seamlessly into this office, it's as if she actually works here. I've also seen her knock back enough Advil to cure a small village, almost drown herself in cough syrup and she's hiding nose spray in that elegant little purse of hers. She'll make it through, even if it is on sheer willpower alone.

In the meantime, I'm sitting next to her in my hoodie and jeans, slightly squirming because I do so _not_ fit in here. The room we're sitting in is... it's modern, that's one word. Bare, is another. All glass and steel and concrete and about as inviting as a dentist's room. Although perhaps that's a little unfair to dentists. They do try to help you, after all and I'm not sure I have it in me to poke into people's teeth all day.

'Miss Kavanagh?' The receptionist has joined us, exuding efficiency and Chanel. 'My apologies. Mr. Grey will be another moment, could I get you something to drink?'

Kate opens her mouth but I get there first. 'Tea, please,' I say with a smile. 'With lemon and honey for Miss Kavanagh, if you have it.'

The receptionist does not even frown. 'Of course.'

'So you're my personal assistant now?' Kate mutters when the receptionist makes her way back to her desk. 'I've got a cold, I'm not dying.'

'Shush,' I say, not really bothered by her tone. 'Look.'

I nod towards the elevator bank, where a soft ding has just announced the arrival of one. Metal doors slide open soundlessly and out steps _the_ most gorgeous pair of men I have ever laid eyes on in my life. One is tall and slender, with dark blond curls, a square jaw and piercing grey eyes; the other, a black man, is shorter, stockier but built like a brick wall and he is wearing a pale grey suit that _really_ brings out his figure. They are deep in conversation, which is a good thing because it means they do not notice me and Kate staring after them as they disappear through a door at the other end of the room.

'So,' I say slowly. 'Which one...'

'The tall one,' Kate says. 'The other one's Ros, he's the second in command. Pretty, aren't they.'

I nod. Before I can comment further, however, the receptionist is back again, carrying a tray with two steaming cups and a small plate. 'I took the liberty of slicing up some ginger as well,' she says in a low voice, glancing at Kate. 'I find it helps, but it's up to you.'

And indeed, the small plate contains a sachet of honey, two generous slices of lemon and a pile of yellow chunks giving off a smell that makes my eyes water. 'Holy...' Kate breathes, then aims a dazzling smile at the receptionist. 'What's your name?'

The receptionist blinks, undaunted. Which is impressive, given the force of the Katherine Kavanagh megawatt smile. 'Janet.'

'Thank you, Janet,' Kate says, before carefully lifting one of the lemon slices and squeezing it over the cup closest to her. 'You're the best.'

'I'm just doing my job, Miss Kavanagh,' Janet replies before slinking back to her desk. I look after her, not too impressed. My tea, judging from the smell of it, is English Breakfast, but it's over steeped to the point where it looks more like coffee. I don't mind strong tea, but even I have my limits.

'Seems she likes you,' I mutter.

'Jealous?' Kate shoots back, but without too much force. She takes a sip of tea and sighs blissfully.

I shrug, choosing not to comment. Instead I sip my own tea, make a face and then sit back, fishing my copy of _Persuasion_ out of my backpack. This is going to be a long afternoon.

\---

I am about halfway through Anne Elliot and Frederick Wentworth's romantic struggles when Kate returns, looking pale and not a little furious. 'Ana, we're done,' she snaps, already pulling her coat off the rack before Janet has a chance to get up and get it for her. 'Come on, let's go.'

I jump up, barely managing to bookmark the page before I shove the book back into my backpack. I know better than to ask Kate what's going on when she's like this. All that matters is to get her out before she blows and so I grab my coat and run after her to the elevator. Janet calls something after us, clearly bewildered, but I do not bother turning back. Instead I join Kate where she's just slammed the elevator button and stands, glaring at the silent wall of steel until there's a soft ding and the doors slide open.

In the elevator, Kate's mood goes from bad to absolutely fuming. 'How hard can it be,' she keeps hissing to herself. 'How hard can it _fucking_ be.'

I don't comment. I don't know what happened, but she'll tell me soon enough and until then, I won't get a sensible explanation out of her anyway. Until then I stand next to her as the elevator zooms down, silently squeezing her arm to remind her to keep breathing.

'How. Hard. Can. It. _Be?'_

 _'_ I know,' I mutter, even though I don't. I just breathe a sigh of relief when the elevator doors finally open and Kate practically bolts out, dashing through the expensive lobby until we're standing on the pavement outside, both breathing heavy; Kate because she's still not getting as much air as usual, me because I had to sprint after her.

'OK,' I say, when I've got my breath back. 'OK. I'm getting Wanda. You are going to stay here and not murder anyone and then, when we're driving back home, you can tell me exactly what the hell just happened. Sounds good?'

Kate nods and then unexpectedly pulls me into a fierce hug. For a moment, I stiffen, thinking of all the microbes and bacteria and other little nasty creatures crawling their way into my clothing, but then I notice how she's shaking and I can't help wrapping my arms around her in response. 'Hey,' I say, softer now. 'It's OK. It's OK, you did it. You got the interview, it's OK.'

I don't know if it makes sense what I tell her, but it does have some effect: Kate straightens up, looking at me with a weird glint in her eyes. 'Oh, yes,' she says, sounding suddenly a lot more cheerful. 'I've got that. And I know _just_ what kind of article I am going to write about that asshole.'

\---

As it turns out, being a billionaire CEO of a Fortune 500 company does not make you a very nice person. In fact, it might just make you the kind of asshole who likes to control everything, in minute detail, and also the kind of asshole who thinks it's OK to make certain less-than-savory remarks about the girlfriend of the girl who's interviewing you.

In short, Kate eviscerated him. Absolutely destroyed him in her article, just as she did the way he runs his business (she did additional research for that, too: held a number of more interviews with the few people who were willing to talk and then pulled multiple all-nighters to put it all together. I made sure there was a never-ending supply of coffee, cookies and kisses to support her) and not in the least, his rampant homophobia.

'I didn't even mean to ask him!' she told me when we were driving home, steam practically blowing out of her ears. 'I mean, it's personal! It's none of my business but he just went and said 'some people think I'm gay' and then he laughed! Like that was the most ridiculous thing to think, and when I said _I_ was gay and that you were my girlfriend, he got...' She stopped to take a much needed breath. 'He got angry! Said something about a 'waste' and that he'd like to try...'

'Alright,' I cut her off quickly. 'Babe, I get the picture. He's a douche. A rapey, homophobic douche canoe.'

Kate muttered something far more uncharitable than that. But I do believe those were the exact words she chose to use in the title of her article on Christian Grey, CEO of Grey Enterprise Holdings Inc. And when we move out of Portland and into Seattle, the framed first page of that article, featuring a less-than-glamorous shot of Grey snarling at a paparazzo, gets a spot of honor right above the toilet.

'And that's where he belongs,' Kate says, brandishing the power drill and surveying her handiwork. I wrap my arms around her from behind and rest my chin on her shoulder, nuzzling a kiss into her hair. 'It looks perfect, babe. Absolutely perfect.'

She turns around, catching my mouth in a long, luxurious kiss. ‘Thanks babe. Now, pizza? Or bed?’

I grin into her mouth, scarcely believing my luck; that I’m here, with this amazing, hot, intelligent, fierce marvel of a woman, in my sparkly new apartment, with two job interviews already lined up before we had even moved out of Portland. ‘Bed first,’ I murmur, gently taking her bottom lip between my teeth and tugging, for just a second. ‘Then pizza.’

Kate laughs, her hands already tugging at my shirt. ‘And then bed again?’

I kiss her again. ‘You bet.’


End file.
